Facebook finds

How many times a day do you go through your newsfeed on your phone or computer? I'm addicted to being in the know, not only socially but also to be a more informed, knowledgeable person in agriculture. Today I found two things worth sharing...
How many of your were involved in 4-H? I was more active in the state and national Hereford association and FFA, but was involved in 4-H during my earlier days. This week is National FFA week, and I don't think you have to be involved to have appreciation for what they do for youth. What is nice about 4-H and FFA is that you don't have to have an ag background to be involved. It's a great organization for becoming a leader and making a difference in your community.

Ever look at your steak and wonder where on a steer it came from? Certified Angus Beef did a great demonstration today in Louisville. Using chalk they mapped out the primals or large sections of the steer. Within each primal is where cuts (tenderloin, roast, round steak, etc) of beef are located. If you're curious about which primal your steak came from, this map is a great resource.

 What was the funniest, happiest or most education thing you saw today on Facebook? Remember, social media is all about sharing!

N.Starr

Safety First

Harvest 2012

It's that time of year when farmers are in the field harvesting crops that will someday and somehow feed you and your family. The next time you're stuck behind a tractor, combine or manue spreader think of this:

Take a deep breath, enjoy the view and eventually you'll get to where you need to be. Safe & sound.

Pure Michigan

Have you heard?

I think most of us have heard a Pure Michigan commercial that make you want to immediately notify your boss and tell them you're taking a week off to rent a cabin on the shore of lake Michigan to be completely out of touch with the world, turn off your mind, relax and not have a care in the world. While at Michigan State the falls were my favorite; the view of trees could come straight out of  a storybook. Michigan is a agriculturally diverse state and share their agriculture story to the public with this 30 commercial. Bring a Door County tourist was nice; but after seeing this I'd much rather escape to Pure Michigan. This captures a state that's proud to feed others.

 

 

Your trip begins at puremichigan.org

 

N.Starr

Stawberry Pickin'

Ripe strawberries = Official start of summer. 

Last weekend Glendale Farms in Clintonville was the hoppin' place on Saturday at 9:30am. I cruised in after getting my hair cut and couldn't believe the crowd. Strawberries were at their prime and so were the old ladies of Clintonville; bustin' asses and elbows trying to get the ripest flats to be made for homemade jams, pies and whatever else they use strawberries for in hopes of earning the "Best dish to Pass" Award at the next church potluck, funeral dinner or fundraising event.
Well this "country-girl-that-moved-to-the-city" bombshell wasn't going to let a few local ladies get in her way of some delicious, juicy strawberries!

What's neat about Glendale is the fact you can pick your own strawberries out in the patch.
Then the nice ladies at the counter weigh your flats and tell you what you owe. Good thing they didn't weigh me before and after I went out to the patch!

 Strawberry farmers plant their patches in late fall or early spring and require about 6 hours of sunlight. They also like dry soil. Once planted these plants produce berries for years.

This is was a strawberry field patch looks like.
Did you know one plant produces approximately 1 quart of strawberries? 

    
Glendale Farms has become a huge attraction for families across the county. It's a great way for kids to see where their food comes from and gives them a taste of farm life and how much time and effort it takes to put food on the table. It's not easy standing out in the blazing heat for days picking berries.

Kids of all ages can enjoy Glendale! Even big kids like me!
Anyone would give a quarter to feed these entertaining goats.

 After spending all my change on the goats it was time to head home to top off all these berries and put them in the freezer. Hopefully Mom & I can make jam later this fall when things slow down.

Word to the wise: 3 flats of strawberries is a lot of work, how do the ole' pros do it?

Don't forget to enter in the wine glass giveaway... enter here. Maybe if you were the winner you'd fill those glasses with strawberry wine?!

N.Starr

Starr Report #2: The corn is in

Planting 2012 is complete.

Last weekend concluded planting 2012 at the Starr Farm. My dad was out in the tractor a majority of the weekend and evening during the previous week to get the corn in and growing. You probably think we are a little behind, and well yes, maybe, sort of. But you have to remember my family lives in a northern where the temperatures are still getting down pretty low during the nights. Farmers have to adapt to the climate they are planting in. If everyone planted and harvested at the same time we all wouldn't have the same success. Excited to see it grow this summer. Depending on how our fall is, harvest will come sometime in November. Cross your fingers for a good summer 2012 of growing!

The corn is being planted. My dad makes rounds and rounds until the entire field is planted.

Farmer Joe needed to eat, so I set out to the field in my trusty Grand Prix and delivered Subway sandwich, chips and a cookie for dessert. Bonus points for being the favorite:)

We live in a small rural town, Subway is the only fast food joint. We live to far away for Domino's to deliver to the corn field. Maybe it's something they should consider? Remember to thank Domino's for supporting animal agriculture.

N.Starr

Isaac turns 1

It's hard to believe on May 16 my little nephew Isaac turned 1! Where did the year go? I can't image our lives without him. It seems like just yesterday I skipped out of work early to be one of the first to see this little bundle of joy in the hospital.

 Over this past year, he's gotten quite the personality... So we know he loves spending his evening at the farm. He was helping AI cows at only 1 week old. Lindsay & Brad better watch out, he'll be taking over the farm before he's 5!

He looks forward to summer evenings when he can cheer on his dad at the baseball games.

He doesn't quite have teeth yet, but when he does we're sure he'll be requesting steak at supper time, after he gets in from AI'ing the cows.

Cows are his favorite, but he decided to really scare people at Halloween and dress up as a lion.

We know he likes to tease, flirt and put on a show when he's around his aunts. And we have such a good time when we're together! Right Isaac?!  

Isaac and I are spending the weekend together at my family's farm. Yes the whole weekend! We plan on being outside, taking care of Aunt Danielle's show heifers, maybe working in the yard and most of all kissing those cute cheeks! I'm so happy I get to be his "Fairy God Mother"

1001 days from now I'll have........

101 in 1001 goals

As you know from my 3 in 30 monthly challenges, I'm a goal-driven individual. As odd as it may sound, I think I get some sort of emotional high off of checking this off my to-do list. Whether work or personal life, I have a handwritten (usually never-ending) list that I'm plugging along at and living for the moment when I can take a hot pink highlighter and cross it off as complete! In a way it makes sense, from little on I've been the kind of person that's not only working in the present, but also planning for the future.
With that, I've decided to take on a larger goal challenges, 101 goals in 1001 days. Start date was on Sunday, April 1, 2012 (no not an April Fool's joke), with a completion date of Sunday, December 28, 2014. It seems so far away, but yet it also seems like just yesterday I was graduating from Michigan State and entering the real world, hard to believe I've been a MSU alumni for 2 years!
Anyways, I'm excited to see where these 1001 days take me, hopefully I'll get to do a little traveling and knock a few things off my bucket list. Here are some of my favorites, but please see all of them on the '101 Things to do in 1001 Day' tab or by click here.

Travel

• Go to the Kentucky Derby. Yes that right, watch it on TV the first weekend of every May. I'm actually a "Southern Bell" at heart. I would love to get dressed up and wear a big, fancy hat and take in that high-dollar horse racing vibe. And maybe do a little horse betting!

Adventure

• Sailboat ride. Just to say I have and because I've never been.
• Meet the Pioneer Women. Yep, I'm sure you're not surprised, I'm a huge fan! And to get my cookbooks signed, pretty please. Hint Hint... my birthday is in a little over a month and I still don't own cookbook #2....

Gratitude

• Give back to an organization that was good to me and got me to where I am today. Looking forward to this one!

Professional

• Attend a new agriculture event. It's always good to expand your horizons and learn a little something new about the industry we love!

Don't forget to check out the rest of the 101 in 1001 list, it's quite the list and I had fun putting it together. What will you accomplish this April? I'm hoping for a little spring cleaning:)

N.Starr
   

Animal Meteorologists?

Time to open the sunroof!

As I clock struck five I couldn't help but pack up and head out to take advantage of this warm weather! It was driving me crazy that I was missing out on the 50* weather all afternoon. My laptop bag and lunchbox hit the ground, I immediately changed into my running gear and off I was! Just getting back now and winding down from a long run. I love being able to run in my neighborhood and get fresh air; it beats inhaling the stuffy gym air.
So is this just another prank of mother nature? Punxsutawney Phil did say that we were going to have six more weeks of winter, was he slacking on the job? And the Farmer's Almanac stated that March would be greeted with a lion. Perhaps we should turn to the animals to be the real meteorologist. Thanks to Pinterest I found this neat way to forecast the weather, without gadgets. With this week being National Agriculture Week, I thought I'd highlight the animal section. Animals are more likely to changes in the air pressure then we are. Tada! Finally someone/something to predict this crazy Wisconsin weather. Click here to view the full poster.

• Cows will typically lie down before a thunderstorm. They also tend to stick as a group if bad weather is on its way.
• Ants build their hills with very steep sides just before it rains.
• Birds flying high in the sky indcates fair weather
• Cats tend to clean behind their ears before it rains
• Turtles search for higher ground before the rain hits

March: In like a lion out like a lamb?

With this crazy, unseasonal weather this winter who knows what spring will bring. As said earlier, I'm more of a summer gal, so I'm hoping spring is here in just a few short weeks! We've had high temperatures and rain, surely mother nature can't be fooling us! The old wives tale about the March lion and lamb is probably just as good a weather predictor as the groundhog or even an actual weatherman! Ha!
Well in my opinion, who better to predict the weather then an actually farmer. From the corn, soybean and beef prices to the latest town gossip-- they know it all! So during my noon hour after having casual conversation about the rainy weather March greeted us with I turned to (ok googled) a resource that never seems to fail, The Farmers' Almanac. When pulling up the site I found two interesting blogposts (The truth behind "In like a lion out like a lamb and In like a lion or lamb) about the 2012 predictions and meaning.

A few of my favorite sayings, have you ever heard of these?

• A dry March and a wet May? Fill barns and bays with corn and hay. (New favorite saying!)
• As it rains in March so it rains in June.
• March winds and April showers? Bring forth May flowers.

Wordless Wednesday......The month of February

#Febphotoaday

If you on Twitter (follow me @nstarrgirl) you may have noticed your fellow tweeps posting photos via Instagram (follow me starrnicole) capturing one special footage photo from a memorable moment in their day. Well I'll also joined in on the fun and have enjoyed sharing a groundbreaking photo with you! Daily I get thrills about what will happened and what one photo will capture my day. As they say "A picture is worth a thousand words". Here are the highlights thus far, and dont' forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram for the daily photo!

February 3, 2012

Friday fun... Mary Kay pampering party!

 February 4, 2012

Saturdays are better as Aunt Nicole

February 5, 2012

Lamers Dairy, based out of Northeastern WI. I support local dairy producers.

February 6, 2012

One of the many perks of my job.... I can choose between wearing cowgirl boots or heels! Monday was a boot & jeans-wearin' day. No matter how old or new your boots are, you can count on the same stitch design. I love it!

N.Starr

It all depends on Punxsutawney Phil

WHO??

Yes, that's right Punxsutawney Phil, the Groundhog! Happy Groundhog's Day! Today is the day that will determine how much longer of this mild winter we will have. And according to the news there will be six more weeks of winter :( .

And if you're a cold blooded person that me, you're hoping Punxsutawney Phil is incorrect, I live for every season except winter. Why am I residing the one of the coldest states? I ask myself the same question!

Here's a funny, but dry clip about the history behind Groundhog's Day and the true hog that determines the arrival of spring. Did you know this day is only celebrated in Canada and 49 of the 50 states? Alaska dropped out of the festivities a few years ago.

Are you a Rockin' Rural Woman?

Ag Beauties Unite for Girl Chat, 9 pm CST

Do you find yourself drooling over the make up counter at Macys, but then also find yourself frantically running to the farm supply store to get bailer twine, milk replacer or feed for your cattle? If so, you're not alone. While it may be an odd combination rest assured there are plenty of other women out there as well.

Everyone deserves a little pampering!

Tonight once the cows are all fed and bedded down join the Rockin' Rural Women Facebook & Twitter conversation at 9 pm CST for a topic we all know & love, but may not get to spend as much time on as we'd like......BEAUTY! I consider myself one that likes to work hard, but am also not shy about looking good while doing so. Us ag girls need our beauty fix too!
Join my good friend, Crystal Cattle, tonight as she leads the twitter conversation for a little girl chat on make up, deal & steals and the latest products.
To join in on the fun, follow the Twitter hastag #rockinruralwomen or visit the Rockin' Rural Women Facebook page.
I plan on participating in both, but follow me on Twitter @nstarrgirl
See you at 9 pm for a fun-filled beauty convo!


N.Starr 

Wordless Wednesday... Christmas 2011

A little late

With snow on the ground it's starting to finally feel like winter! With that said I thought today would be a great day to go back a few weeks (ok almost a month) to Christmas 2011. This year's Starr Christmas tree hunt was a completely crazy adventure, like it always is! So here's a glimpse of how the final product turned out and a little look into how Christmas at the Starr household was! We were very grateful to all be together, it was a fun memorable holiday once again! Cheers to a healthy and prosperous 2012.

 N.Starr

Don't get your Tinsel in a TaNgLe

My Christmas Motto

It's the week of Christmas, it's impossible to find a parking spot at the mall, the grocery store is packed with all the crazys preparing for a house full of company. So when I saw this quote, "Don't get your Tinsel in a Tangle", I immediately declared that to be my Christmas motto. A few weeks ago my family went to pick out the "perfect" Christmas tree. The Starr Family doesn't mess around when it comes to selecting their Christmas tree, each year we have to get one bigger and better then the last (Ok- we're like the Griswold's). I'll just say there's never a dull moment!

And we're off!!! The hunt for the perfect tree begins at the tree farm...

Wallah!!! We've found it!! Told ya, we don't mess around we even bring a tape measure to make sure it's tall enough. It got the stamp of approval when it came in reading 14 ft. And so we begin to saw it down.

Isn't she a beauty??!?! After cutting it down the friendly tree farm staff load it onto their tractor and haul it to the front of the farm to be bailed. While waiting to get the tree bailed, customers can enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.. yum. The tree is bailed by putting twine around the tree, making it skinner so it can fit through the door of our house.

Remember when I saw they bail they tree in the last picture? When the staff thought their baler was big enough to bail this tree, but thought wrong! Instead our gorgeous perfect tree came out looking it went through the garbage disposal. Luckily we didn't get our "Tinsel in a Tangle" and we made a second trug out to the field to find the second perfect tree. What a disappointment & let down! All that work! And have you ever heard of a family cutting down TWO Christmas trees!?!?

The second best tree was still 14 ft tall, but a little skinner and the workers were able to hand bail it.

I put the lights on and my sister, Danielle, put on the ornaments last weekend. Pictures to come! While we may not have the fatest tree, we certainly have a good story to tell this year when our family & friends visit!

Have a happy last few days of Holiday prep!

Friday Flair: Freckled Frogg Cottage Cafe & Outdoor Garden Bistro

Now say that 10 times!

The Freckled Frogg.... A great place for a girl tea party!

The Freckled Frogg is my new favorite place for a fun girls lunch. This little cafe is located in King, WI and it's like walking into a frog doll house. The owner, Sandi, has combined her love for frogs with her talent for creating gorgeous salads & sandwiches (veggies from her garden) and exceptional desserts! The Freckled Frogg is open for lunch only. For exact hours and directions check out their Facebook page. They will be open this winter (weekends only). Last time we could even dine on the porch, thanks to the outdoor heater!

What is special about this little find is that each day brings a new menu! Generally 5 items to pick from to eat and a huge list of drinks.... frogg juice lemonade, carrot juice, raspberry Mimosa. Our waitress brought over a menu of choices!

The Freckled Frogg serves Salad Master Pieces.... Tooo pretty to eat. My mom and Aunt Jo during Thanksgiving weekend.

This picture was taken at the Freckled Frogg deer hunting weekend! Yes, we went there two weekends in a row! Isaac was a hit with the ladies and had a blast! Sandi was able to hold him and he flirted the whole time:)

It's like walking into a doll house!

So next time you're looking for a one-of-a-kind place for lady lunches or fun parties, head over to the Freckled Frogg for one of a kind service and delicious food! Sandi and her team with treat you and your friends like queens or princesses!

N.Starr

It's Show Day

Yesterday I shared with you the good times we had the MSU Fall Fest sale, and today I'd like to tell you about the heifer we purchased. This morning our new heifer will be shown in Louisville at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE), one of the largest cattle shows in the country. Her name is MSU Rachel, was born in February and comes from excellent nationally recognized genetics. We're very excited to watch her show this morning (via Internet) and at the National Western Stock Show (in person). The MSU Purebred Beef Center has been washing and blowing her hair daily in preparation for the sale and upcoming shows. MSU exhibited Angus and Hereford cattle at this show, wish them (and us) the best of luck this morning with the Hereford cattle.

If you are interested in watching the Hereford show or perhaps are interested in what the front-end of a cattle show entails, click here. The NAILE will be streaming the show live. Just a little background... the heifers are shown in their age groups and are lead around the show ring by their owners in front of a judge. The judge evaluates the heifers by looking at their phenotype (body structure, the way the walk, observable characteristics, longevity) and viewing their performance data, which are called E.P.D.s (Expected Progeny Differences) . The judges places them first, second, third, etc. First and second places class winners compete in their division and then champion and reserve divisions compete for overall Grand and Reserve Champion. This is comparable to a beauty pageant:)

Introducing MSU Rachel, sired (father) is Bailout. Wish us luck this morning!

 Happy Thursday!

N.Starr

What does 3 1/2 days mean to you?

Yesterday my mom shared this you tube video with me. After watching it I could help but be thankful that my parents raised my sisters and I the way they did. We grew up on a farm where we all had chores and each of us were responsible for the jobs we were given. Over the years it taught us the true meaning of hard work, dedication and provided us with a clear image of what life in the real world would be. It certainly wasn't all glitz and glamour by any means, but the life lesson learned by growing up on a farm are invaluable. The work ethic that was distilled in us at an early age, contributed to the success of our education and careers in agriculture that we are pursuing.   
While my family's cattle operation is small, I am proud that we are one of the many helping to provide food for consumers.

Friday Flair: Elegant Farmer

Happy Halloween.



Welcome to the Elegant Farmer!
Come Learn about Life on a Farm!



We're only a few days out from Halloween. Lots of people this weekend will be going on hayrides, through haunted houses or treat-or-treating. The weatherman is predicting a sunny gorgeous weekend, so why not be outside and enjoy it before we freeze over. The Elegant Farmer is a picture perfect way to spend one last  fall day. Located just outside of Milwaukee in Muskego is Elegant Farmer, a farm that offers fall fun & goodness.

In the mood for picking apples? Maybe needing to carve that last minute pumpkin? Or maybe crafting up a decoupage pumpkin. Elegant Farmer has the prime set up for their guests to take a hayride to the pumpkin patch and pick your own apples. After getting fresh air head inside to their bakery and warm up with hot cider and a jumbo muffin. The Elegant farmer store offers FAMOUS paper bag apple pie! How cool, huh? These can be purchased and baked in a paper bag. Nothing says Fall like a warm pie in the oven. 



You've never lived till you had an apple pie baked in a paper bag!



I think the Elegant Farmer is a great way to show kids and their family's what life is like on the farm and for them to get a sweet taste of harvest season. Thanks Elegant Farmer for opening your doors and sharing the truth about agriculture.



And what's a farm produce store without some WISCONSIN Cheese!

 Have a great weekend!
N.Starr

Why I love the weekends

#CountryLife

Tuesdays-the week is gettin' rolling, I wish the weekend could have been longer and yet this upcoming weekend is oh so far away!!

Sunsets are worth a 1,000 words. Sunsets in the fall are just as good because it usually brisk out and you appreciate the few semi-nice days we have left.

Talk about an ideal sunset! Look at those bands of color! This was taken at Crosscut Solutions, my family's business. Mom and I were headed home after an afternoon/evening of working on pumpkins.

This was taken right before I headed back to Milwaukee.
The sun is setting right behind our corn field which we'll be harvesting soon.

Happy Tuesday! Today I'm headed to my first World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI! Details of my trip coming in a later post.

N.Starr

7 things you didn't know about pumpkins

Celebrate Fall

By now it's pretty apparent how much I do like fall (even though I love hot summer days!). I will admit there's so many fun decorating ideas you can do in the harvest season. Be sure to check out my blog tab and recent post for details on the fall items I've made and are available at The Flower Pot (Manawa, W) and The Lily Pad (New London, WI). My fall items will also be featured in Crosscut Solutions booth this Saturday at the Shawano Farm Market.

Now on to something interesting.. I came across this in my state of pumpkin design brainstorming and thought it was appropriate to share.

7 things you didn't know about pumpkins....

1. Pumpkin pie wasn't always sweet. During the colonial period, it was "normal" to fill pumpkin with milk, spices and honey.
2. Pumpkin used to be a medicine. Got a snake bit or freckle? Pumpkin will clear that right up!
3. Jack-o-Lanterns weren't always pumpkins. Turnips, potatoes or beets were originally carved.
4. Pumpkins come in over 50 varieties (I guess the cattle term here would be breeds)
5. The largest jack-o-lantern weighed more than a horse. A New Yorker (2010) carved a 1,800 pound pumpkin.
6. Pumpkins are grown all over the world.
7. They're mostly water. 90% water to be exact.

Happy Fall! What are you doing to celebrate the fall colors?
N.Starr